2013 Toyota Kluger Grande Review

Toyota’s Kluger ticks almost all the boxes for a family AWD SUV. It’s almost as if they were reading the minds of buyers over the years. The Grande is the top of the range.

What impresses most about the Kluger Grande is the feeling of space inside. You literally have to get out and check that it is a mid size SUV.

The leather drivers seat is electronically adjustable along with the four-spoke leather steering wheel. Apart from needing some more slide travel I was able to find a comfortable driving position. The dash is typically Toyota, clean and functional. The steering wheel houses all the necessary controls.

The clever middle row of seats fold flat and have a 40:20:40 split with 120mm of fore/aft slide adjustment and have remarkable head, shoulder and knee room even for adults. The third row is good for smaller occupants but comfortable.

There is a glass hatch in the tailgate for easy access to the rear luggage area which has a long capacity with fold flat seats.

The Kluger is powered by a 3.5-litre all-alloy Quad Cam V6 engine with dual variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i). It delivers 201kW of power at 6200rpm and 337Nm of torque at 4700rpm. Fuel can be heavy especially around town but it is reasonably economical on the freeway.

It is matched to a five-speed sequential-shift electronically controlled automatic transmission and delivers the power through the AWD system that has a bevel-gear centre differential providing a 50/50 torque split between the front and rear axles.

Traction Control (TRC) electronically controls torque distribution, eliminating the need for a viscous coupling. Also as standard is Hill-start Assist Control and Downhill Assist Control

The Toyota Kluger Grande is a exceptionally well appointed, versatile, luxurious family AWD SUV. Easy is a word that comes to mind. Easy to own, easy to use and drive, easy to load a heap of kids and gear inside and easy to sell when the time comes. It has just about everything that you could wish for. I just wish for a diesel option with a 6 speed transmission. Despite this it is a worthy winner in our awards for 2012

Anthony Hood – Freelance Contributor
Anthony is an avid motoring and photography enthusiast. His interests lie in performance cars, street rods, drag racing, 4WDriving and camping, burn out competitions, circuit racing and hill climbs. He is our resident hoon with heaps of experience.
Married with two children and a qualified diesel mechanic and fitter, he has worked in the industry since leaving school over 16 years ago. His sheds are full of race cars and engines in various stages of working order.
Anthony doesn’t get caught up in the marketing hype of the automotive industry and is fairly blunt. He brings a very laid back approach to reviewing vehicles.

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